Franconian Switzerland is not only the land of 1,000 caves, it is also the land of 1,000 rock formations. Bizarre sandstone formations wow hikers on this route. We hike through beautiful forests and lush meadows in the Franconian Forest – no wonder this forest is known as the green crown of Bavaria!

The highest mountains on the Franconian Mountain Path – the Schneeberg and Ochsenkopf, both with a height of more than 1,000 metres – are in the Fichtel Mountains near the Czech border.

The source of the White Main headstream lies on the Ochsenkopf. It runs through Bayreuth and into the Main, which flows through Würzburg and Frankfurt.

This is the Franconian Mountain Path: three upland regions coming together to form a gigantic 428 kilometre hiking trail.

TIP: Bayreuth

Manuel Andrack, editor, presenter, author and hiking blogger:"A detour to Bayreuth is a must. And not just for the Festspielhaus, Wagner's Festival Theatre. The range of regional and international craft beers in the Liebesbier restaurant and brewery is sensational. Cheers to Franconia!"